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Results for “Facility location”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Distributionally robust facility location problem under decision-dependent stochastic demand

While the traditional facility location problem considers exogenous demand, in some applications, locations of facilities could affect the willingness of customers to use certain types of services, e.g., carsharing, and therefore they also affect realizations of random demand. Moreover, a decision maker may not know the exact distribution of such endogenous demand and how it is affected by location choices. In this paper, we consider a distributionally robust facility location problem, in which we interpret the moments of stochastic demand as functions of facility-location decisions. We reformulate a two-stage decision-dependent distributionally robust optimization model as a monolithic formulation, and then derive exact mixed-integer linear programming reformulation as well as valid inequalities when the means and variances of demand are piecewise linear functions of location solutions. We conduct extensive computational studies, in which we compare our model with a decision-dependent deterministic model, as well as stochastic programming and distributionally robust models without the decision-dependent assumption. Here, the results show superior performance of our approach with remarkable improvement in profit and quality of service under various settings, in addition to computational speed-ups given by formulation enhancements. These results draw attention to the need of considering the impact of location decisions on customer demand within this strategic-level planning problem.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Capacitated p -hub approach for park-and-ride facility location problem under nested logit demand function: polyhedral approaches

By generalizing the unconstrained p-hub approach for the park-and-ride (P&R) facility location problem under the multinomial logit demand function, the capacitated p-hub approach for the problem under the nested logit demand function captures a broader range of real-world cases. To solve this problem optimally, we introduce a mixed-integer linear program and accelerate its solution by enhancing the branch-and-cut procedure. To address the problem at a large scale, we introduce two other polyhedral approaches: variable neighborhood search (VNS) and adaptive randomized rounding (ARR). Downtown areas in Seoul have a high modal share of public transportation and congested road traffic, yet P&R has not been widely implemented. Therefore, we apply the ARR procedure to solve a real-world problem using traffic and geographic data from the Seoul metropolitan area. ARR performs better than VNS and addresses real-world cases. The solutions obtained by ARR present a phased expansion plan that encourages policymakers to start installing a small number of P&Rs immediately.

Capacitated p-hub approach↗
DOE OSTI2020

Formal methods approach to the charging facility location problem for battery electric vehicles

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are becoming more prevalent as improvements in battery technology and energy management continue to be made. As the number of electric vehicles grows, the demand for fast-charging stations is expected to increase dramatically. Thus, building new charging station infrastructure efficiently will be key to reducing upfront costs while meeting consumer demands. In this work, we propose a method for choosing a set of charging station locations that are optimized based on a set of given common vehicle demand points. As part of this solution, we also offer a novel abstraction of the road network on which energy-efficient paths that account for charge-time delays may be found. The current algorithm chooses the optimal charging locations for a single agent which has a route objective specified using temporal logic. To demonstrate the proposed method, the running example shows how a charging station could be chosen for an electric delivery vehicle. Simulations were run on sample road networks with a given set of demand points to service and potential charging station locations to compare. The method is shown to successfully rank potential charging stations in terms of their expected average charging time cost.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1988

Public-Facilities Locator For The Blind

Proposed optoelectronic system guides blind people to important locations in public buildings, With system, sightless person easily determines directions and distances of restrooms, water fountains, stairways, emergency exits, and elevators. Circuitry uncomplicated and inexpensive, in both transmitter and receiver. Readily-available light-emitting diodes, photodiodes, and integrated-circuit chips used to build locator aid for the blind.

Moore, Kevin D.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Methods and systems for advanced spaceport information management

Advanced spaceport information management methods and systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes coupling a test system to the payload and transmitting one or more test signals that emulate an anticipated condition from the test system to the payload. One or more responsive signals are received from the payload into the test system and are analyzed to determine whether one or more of the responsive signals comprises an anomalous signal. At least one of the steps of transmitting, receiving, analyzing and determining includes transmitting at least one of the test signals and the responsive signals via a communications link from a payload processing facility to a remotely located facility. In one particular embodiment, the communications link is an Internet link from a payload processing facility to a remotely located facility (e.g. a launch facility, university, etc.).

Fussell, Ronald M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Methods and Systems for Advanced Spaceport Information Management

Advanced spaceport information management methods and systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes coupling a test system to the payload and transmitting one or more test signals that emulate an anticipated condition from the test system to the payload. One or more responsive signals are received from the payload into the test system and are analyzed to determine whether one or more of the responsive signals comprises an anomalous signal. At least one of the steps of transmitting, receiving, analyzing and determining includes transmitting at least one of the test signals and the responsive signals via a communications link from a payload processing facility to a remotely located facility. In one particular embodiment, the communications link is an Internet link from a payload processing facility to a remotely located facility (e.g. a launch facility, university, etc.).

Fussell, Ronald M.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Liquid Fed Pyrolysis of Polyethylene Films: Environmental and Economic Assessments of Co-located and Remotely-Located U.S. Facilities

Polyethylene (PE) films are one of the highest production volume plastic products, but they have very low recycling rates. A novel liquid fed pyrolysis process (LFP) is an advanced recycling technology that can be applied to waste PE films. In this work, two environmental and six economic metrics were evaluated for the LFP process under different scenarios with a baseline production capacity of 8,400 Metric Tons (MT) of pyrolysis products/year. The studied scenarios considered process improvement such as heat integration, changing the final product yields, and location of the LFP process facility (i.e., co-located at a petrochemical facility or located remotely). Results show that producing refined pyrolysis wax in remote areas is the most environmentally favorable and profitable scenario. The LFP process co-located at a petrochemical facility and selling only liquid and gaseous pyrolysis products to the facility would require a capacity of >18,000 MT/year to be economically feasible. Heat integration led to greenhouse gas emission savings of at least 14%, 19%, and 32% for the pyrolysis oil, gas, and wax products, respectively. Fianlly, the LFP process in remote and less populated locations producing a high yield of refined wax may be a feasible solution for increasing recycling rates of PE films.

Advanced recycling↗
DOE OSTI2024

Topical Analyses Related to Co-located Industrial Facilities at Nuclear Power Plants

This report investigates topics of interest with regard to Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) utilizing flexible plant operations and generation (FPOG). Previous reports have identified the risk associated with co-located hydrogen generation facilities. This report evaluates special topics with regard to co-location of both hydrogen and syngas production facilities. A literature review was conducted to evaluate overpressure mitigation techniques that may be available to the NPP to reduce the consequence of an overpressure event. Also, the overpressure consequence of a catastrophic hydrogen storage tank failure event was analyzed. A comparison of the similarities and differences between the methodology utilized in HyRAM+ and Regulatory Guide 1.91 (R.G. 1.91) was performed for overpressure analysis. Also, the trinitrotoluene (TNT) equivalency methodology was utilized to evaluate an overpressure event at a Syngas production facility.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Environmental Effects Assessment for Proposed Offshore Wind Farm off the Coast of Grays Harbor, Washington

Grays Harbor Wind LLC (GHW) is proposing to develop a floating offshore wind farm offshore of west Grays Harbor County, Washington (Grays Harbor). The proposed GHW Offshore Wind Project (Project) would entail construction, installation and operation of a 1,000-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm consisting of approximately 75 floating units, each containing a floating foundation and wind turbine generator (WTG). The Project location is approximately 25 miles (21.7 nautical miles [nmi]) offshore west of Grays Harbor, at waters depths of 360 to 700 feet. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was contracted by Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc. on behalf of GHW to carry out this preliminary scoping study to evaluate baseline conditions and potential effects on fish and marine mammals from development and operation of a floating offshore wind farm installed within a designated area off the coast of Washington1. Floating offshore wind units installed in an ocean environment as part of the Project would interact with marine wildlife. This Study report provides an initial data aggregation and analysis, using publicly available data, of the Project effects, both negative and positive, on the marine environment. The scope of this assessment is limited by the fact that the Project development is presently at the conceptual level. Data on marine organisms were aggregated and evaluated; however seabirds were evaluated by Herrera Environmental Consulting and, along with bats, were not included in the scope of this study. Significant additional work is necessary to characterize ocean, seafloor, and environmental conditions; select appropriate floating offshore wind technologies; identify construction methods and locations; and assess facility locations, including electrical interconnection. Data aggregation and analysis of seabirds and bats is also needed. Evaluation of the full range of potential environmental effects would be conducted following an award of a lease from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) as part of the leasing, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental review and permitting processes. While this initial data aggregation and analysis uses best available public scientific information and current assumptions about the Project configuration, the effects discussed herein are based on the status of review to-date and may change as Project-specific details are developed.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Volatile Organic Compounds in Bankhead National Forest (AMF3). August to September, 2025

The formation of atmospheric aerosols through the transformation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a fundamental process in aerosol-climate interactions, as these particles serve as cloud condensation nuclei and ultimately influence Earth’s radiative balance. However, there remains a critical need to quantify the effects of multiple coexisting VOC precursors on aerosol formation beyond the limitations of laboratory-scale studies. This research aims to advance the mechanistic understanding of secondary organic aerosol formation in the southeastern United States by investigating interactions among coexisting VOC precursors observed at the third ARM Mobile Facility located in the Bankhead National Forest. The dataset was generated from the deployment of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s PTR-TOF 6000 X2 Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) for the real-time, continuous monitoring of VOCs from August 21 to September 15, 2025. To minimize sampling artifacts and compound losses, the PTR-ToF-MS inlet was connected to the cabin flow line by replacing the existing Tygon tubing with 1/2-inch outer diameter perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) tubing. The instrument operated on an hourly measurement cycle consisting of 8 minutes of zero-air measurements followed by 52 minutes of ambient air sampling, with a temporal resolution of 10 seconds. The dataset includes concentrations, reported in ppb, of methanol, acetone, acetonitrile, isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone and methacrolein (MVK + MACR), monoterpenes, benzene, toluene, and catechol.

Atmospheric concentration of volatile organic comp↗
DOE OSTI2022

Historic Architectural Resource Survey of the Dosimetry Applications Research (DOSAR) Facility in the 7700 Area of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In May 2022, Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc., completed a historic architectural resource survey of buildings associated with the Dosimetry Applications Research Facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The laboratory is one of three Department of Energy facilities located on the Oak Ridge Reservation in Roane and Anderson Counties, Tennessee. The Dosimetry Applications Research Facility is located approximately 2 mi southeast of the main Oak Ridge National Laboratory campus. The survey included Buildings 7709, 7710, and 7712, which date to the 1960s. An additional DOSAR building (Building 7735) dates to the late 1980s and was not surveyed since it is outside the period of significance. The survey was conducted at the request of UT-Battelle, LLC, on behalf of the Department of Energy. As stipulated by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, the Department of Energy is required to identify any properties under its jurisdiction that are included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. In order to identify historic properties at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in 2017–2018 Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc., conducted a survey of the main campus as well as outlying facilities, publishing the findings in a 2018 report entitled Oak Ridge National Laboratory Historic Architectural Resource Survey. At the time of the 2017–2018 survey, buildings associated with the Dosimetry Applications Research Facility were not accessible for security reasons and the current report serves as an addendum to the 2018 report. In addition, the current survey incorporates information included in a documentation report on Building 7709 completed in 2019. The properties included in the current survey were also evaluated for their collective potential as a historic district. The identification of archaeological properties that are eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places is beyond the scope of this report. Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc., recommends that none of the buildings surveyed for the current report are individually eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. However, the collective of buildings represents a facility that made notable contributions to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s scientific research endeavors from the 1960s to the 1980s, specifically in the field of Health Physics. The buildings and their associated features have also maintained their integrity of setting, materials, design, location, and association. Therefore, Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc., proposes the Dosimetry Applications Research Facility Historic District, which is recommended eligible for listing under Criterion A. The three buildings addressed in the current survey (Buildings 7709, 7710, and 7712) are recommended eligible as contributing resources of the historic district. The district boundary is scribed to incorporate the environs of these three facilities, as well as additional relevant features.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) [Slides]

The National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) is a general-purpose critical assembly facility located within the Device Assembly Facility at the Nevada National Security Site. The NCERC is operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The National Criticality Experiments Research Center: Capability Expansion and Experiments in the Last Three Years

The National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) is a general purpose criticality experiments facility located inside the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Critical experiments containing any special nuclear material, any enrich ment/separation, most physical forms, and any configuration are possible within the constraints of the defined safety basis. NCERC draws upon physical assets and experimental knowledge to solve some of the most difficult problems with respect to criticality safety, reactor physics, and reactor kinetics. In terms of physical assets, NCERC houses hundreds of kilograms of special nuclear material with a majority consisting of highly enriched uranium (HEU) and weapons grade plutonium (WGPu). NCERC is home to four critical assembly machines: Comet, Planet, Flattop, and Godiva IV. To support various derivative diagnostics on fissioning systems, NCERC houses a count room to measure irradiated samples and dosimeters. This paper will step through each of these capabilities explaining recently completed work and upgrades.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS2004

Research and Technology 2003

The NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field, in partnership with U.S. industries, universities, and other Government institutions, is responsible for developing critical technologies that address national priorities in aeropropulsion and space applications. Our work is focused on research for new aeropropulsion technologies, aerospace power, microgravity science (fluids and combustion), electric propulsion, and communications technologies for aeronautics, space, and aerospace applications. As NASA s premier center for aeropropulsion, aerospace power, and turbomachinery, our role is to conduct world-class research and to develop key technologies. We contribute to economic growth and national security through safe, superior, and environmentally compatible U.S. civil and military aircraft propulsion systems. Our Aerospace Power Program supports all NASA Enterprises and major programs, including the International Space Station, Advanced Space Transportation, and new initiatives in human and robotic exploration. Glenn Research Center leads NASA s research in the microgravity science disciplines of fluid physics, combustion science, and acceleration measurement. Almost every space shuttle science mission has had an experiment managed by NASA Glenn, and we have conducted a wide array of similar experiments on the International Space Station. The Glenn staff consists of over 3200 civil service employees and support service contractor personnel. Scientists and engineers comprise more than half of our workforce, with technical specialists, skilled workers, and an administrative staff supporting them. We aggressively strive for technical excellence through continuing education, increased diversity in our workforce, and continuous improvement in our management and business practices so that we can expand the boundaries of aeronautics, space, and aerospace technology. Glenn Research Center is a unique facility located in northeast Ohio. Situated on 350 acres of land adjacent to the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Glenn comprises more than 140 buildings, including 24 major facilities and over 500 specialized research and test facilities. Additional facilities are located at Plum Brook Station, which is about 50 miles west of Cleveland. Plum Brook Station has four large, major, world-class facilities for space research available for Government and industry programs. Knowledge is the end product of our activities. The R&T reports help make this knowledge fully available to potential users the aircraft engine industry, the space industry, the energy industry, the automotive industry, the aerospace industry, and others. It is organized so that a broad cross section of the community can readily use it. Each article begins with a short introductory paragraph that should prove valuable for the layperson. These articles summarize the progress made during the year in various technical areas and portray the technical and administrative support associated with Glenn s technology programs. We hope that this information is useful to all. If additional information is desired, readers are encouraged to contact the researchers identified at the end of each article and to visit Glenn on the World Wide Web at http://www.grc.nasa.gov.

Julian Earls↗